No. 419 Squadron RCAF

Motto: "Moosa aswayita".
Badge: A moose attacking. The moose, representing the squadron's nickname acquired from its first commanding officer, is a ferocious fighter and is indigenous to Canada. The motto is in the Cree language.
Authority: King George VI, June 1944.

No. 419 Squadron was formed at Mildenhall, Suffolk, on 15th December 1941, as the third RCAF bomber squadron overseas. The first CO was Wing Commander John "Moose" Fulton, DSO, DFC, AFC, a native of Kam1oops, British Columbia, and it was from him that the unit gained its nickname. Originally in No. 3 Group of Bomber Command, the squadron joined No. 6 (RCAF) Group upon the latter's formation on 1st January 1943. From Mildenha1l it moved to Leeming, Topcliffe and Croft for short periods before settling down, in November 1942, at Middleton St George, where it remained based until the end of the European war. Beginning operations with Wellington medium bombers, No. 419 later converted to Halifax heavy bombers and then to Lancaster Xs. Over a span of roughly three-and-a-quarter years it logged 400 operational missions (342 bombing missions, 53 mining excursions, 3 leaflet raids and 1 "spoof") involving 4,325 sorties. One hundred and twenty nine aircraft were lost on these operations.

Among the scores of decorations won by the squadron were a Victoria Cross (awarded posthumously to Pilot Officer AC Mynarski), 4 DSOs, 150 DFCs, 3 bars to DFCs, 35 DFMs and 1 MC.

Bomber Command WWII Bases:

• Mildenhall : Dec 1941-Aug 1942
• Leeming : Aug 1942
• Topcliffe : Aug 1942-Sep 1942
• Croft : Sep 1942-Nov 1942
• Middleton St George : Nov 1942 onwards

• Vickers Wellington IC and III : Jan 1942-Nov 1942
• Handley Page Halifax B.II : Nov 1942-Apr 1944
• Avro Lancaster B.X : early 1944 onwards
  Among these was gift aircraft KB999 "VR-M" "Malton Mike" - the 300th Canadian-built Lancaster.

Code Letters:

• "VR"

• 11th January 1942 : 2 Wellingtons bombed Brest.

• 25th April 1945 : 15 Lancasters bombed gun batteries on island of Wangerooge.

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